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Thursday, December 13, 2018

Mongols MC found guilty of racketeering

Santa Ana, California (December 13, 2018) BTN — A federal jury on
Thursday found the Mongol Nation motorcycle club guilty of racketeering, siding with
prosecutors who said it operated as an organized criminal enterprise involved
in murder, attempted murder and illegally distributing methamphetamine and
cocaine, authorities said.

The Mongol Nation, called a violent biker gang by prosecutors,
was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy.

Still to be determined is whether the Mongols, dubbed “the
most violent and dangerous" biker gang in the country, will forfeit
"any and all marks" that include the organization's logo — the word
"Mongols" and a drawing of a Genghis Khan-styled rider on a
motorcycle.

The verdict gets prosecutors a step closer to their goal of seizing
their trademark patch, which is big businesses for the gang, according to court
filings.

Higher-ups in the estimated 600-person club "will
frequently bear patches that indicate they are officers in the
enterprise," and they earn those patches through violence and mayhem,
prosecutors say.

The verdict will not mean prison time since it is against
the organization, not individuals, but the group could be subject to criminal
fines, according to court documents. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 8 to argue
forfeiture issues.

A request for comment from the attorney listed as
representing the Mongol Nation in court documents, was not immediately
returned. An email to a person listed on the Mongols' website was also not
returned Thursday.

"The Mongols Gang is a violent, drug trafficking
organization that advocates and rewards its members and associates for
committing violent crimes, including, and specifically, assaults and murders,
on behalf of the gang and in order to promote what the gang terms 'respect,'
prosecutors wrote in one court filing.

In another filing, they said the club's "'Mother
Chapter" may award a "skull and crossbones" or "Respect Few
Fear None" patch to members who have committed murder or engaged in acts
of violence on behalf of the gang.

Prosecutors said in court documents that the Mongols are a
nationwide organization, but approximately 400 of its 500 to 600 members are
believed to be located in Southern California, and some of its members are
current or former members of Los Angeles County street gangs.

Defense lawyers have said the motorcycle group is simply a
loose configuration of riders in the Southwest, not an organized criminal
enterprise. They also have maintained that the government doesn't have the
right to seize the patches of members who haven't been involved in any criminal
activity.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles has been trying to
go after the patches for a decade.

Then-U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien first announced the
unusual legal bid after 79 members of the gang were indicted in 2008.